Duplex roll holder



Dec. 21, 1954 o. LANGER 2,697,562

DUPLEX ROLL HOLDER Filed April 3, 1951 INVENTOR OLGIERD LANGER ATTORNEY United States Patent DUPLEX ROLL HOLDER Olgierd Langer, Silvermine, Conn. Application April 3, 1951, Serial No. 218,999

1 Claim. (Cl. 242-553) My invention relates to roll holders for supporting rolls of paper, and the like and more particularly to duplex roll holders that will support a second or spare roll in a readily accessible position.

Heretofore in the actual use of toilet tissue rolls, there is provision for only one standard sized roll to be supported at a time. When this roll is expended, it must be replaced from a source frequently removed from the vicinity, which at times is most inconvenient. I have obviated this inconvenience by providing a roll holder with provision for supporting an upper second or spare roll of tissue, so that when the first and lower roll is expended, the second roll is instantly available and when transferred to the lower position will enable the holder to renew its function. With my novel holder the expended roll can be replaced when convenient. Accordingly, it is a principal object of my invention to provide a duplex roll holder with a provision for carrying a spare roll.

Where a roll is freely and rotatably mounted on a holder, a pull on the paper will frequently unravel more than is needed with a resulting waste of paper, unless a drag or braking action is provided for the roll. I provide such an action by pivotally mounting my novel holder to a supporting structure utilizing the weight of the offset holder and the spare roll to compress the lower positioned and used roll against the supporting surface to insure a more even flow of paper, a further object of my invention.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a holder that is constructed of wire and easily fabricated by bending into the finished form; that will permit a new roll to be installed while a roll is at all times available for use; that is simple in mechanical construction; that may be readily reversed to change the position of the rolls; and which can be inexpensively manufactured.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a front elevation view of my novel holder;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the holder, shown supporting a roll of tissue in use and a spare roll; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification which permits the holder to be rotatively as well as pivotally mounted, for reversing the position of the rolls.

In the drawings reference numeral designates generally my roll holder which may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably one having a uniform cross section, such as wire or the like. The holder comprises a body portion 12, two parallel extending outer arm portions 14 and 16 for rotatably supporting rolls 18 and 20, respectively, and a pair intermediate portions 22 and 24 for radially connecting one end of each arm portion to the body portion.

The arm portions are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the roll to be accommodated to prevent the rolls from engaging each other when mounted on the holder as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The arm portions 14 and 16 are provided on their free ends with offset hook portions 26 and 28 which may extend for a distance slightly greater than the inner core diameter of the roll, to enable the roll to be forced on and off when canted slightly and yet be retained on its respective arm portion and freely supported thereon.

The holder ispivotally mounted to a supportingsur'face 30 by brackets 32 secured with screws .34, .while supporting the rolls l8 and 20. For a tissue roll holder for standard sized rolls, theexample I .have :used .for my illustration, an angle of between the intermediate portion measured in a plane perpendicular to the supporting surface with intermediate portions 4% inches long has been found to be satisfactory. The brackets are provided with a bored aperture 36, and loosely support the body portion 12 in a horizontal position to provide a free pivotal action. As shown in Fig. 3 when a roll is inserted over each arm portion, the upper roll 18 functions as a spare roll, while the lower roll 20 is in use. As the arm portions are angularly offset from each other, the upper roll 18, arm portion 14, and intermediate portion 22 function as a balance weight to force the lower roll 20 against the supporting surface 30 providing a drag or brake action for the removal of a strip from the roll.

While it is desirable to replace the lower roll with the upper roll to obtain the brake action, it is possible by my modification, illustrated in section in Fig. 4 to simply reverse the respective positions of their supporting arms.

In this modification a pin 35 extending through apertures 36 in the bracket 37, and 38 in plate 39, is frictionally retained in socket 40 of the base 41. When the pin is withdrawn, plate 39 is enabled to rotate on base 41 about coupling rivet 42, the heads 43 and 44 of which are retained in centrally positioned recesses 45 and 46 in plate and base respectively. When rotated the pin 35 may be inserted in socket 47. This reverses the position of the arms and corresponding rolls of paper.

The wire should be of sufficient cross-section to support the rolls in position without bending or becoming distorted.

In the foregoing constructions I have illustrated a duplex roll holder made of wire and supporting brackets, which enables me to provide a spare roll instantly when needed. The tissue may be removed at a controlled rate, the balance weight of the extra roll regulat-- ing automatically the flow of paper as the diameter of the used roll diminishes. The rolls being fixedly held in position with respect to each other, there is no interference between rolls. The one piece frame design is easy to clean and maintain, and so simple that it can be operated without difiiculty by a child.

The dimensions of my holder can be changed to accommodate different articles, as for instance cleaning tissue, paper or cloth towels, twine, or other items usually wound in roll form.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particularly embodiments herein shown and described are ,only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

A roll holder comprising a rod having a straight midportion, two supporting portions respectively extending radially outward from and supported by the ends of said mid-portion, a spindle portion extending from the outer end of each supporting portion back along and parallel to said mid-portion, each spindle portion being adapted to receive and support a roll of wound material thereon for unwinding delivery thereof, and bearing means for journalling said mid-portion adjacent a flat supporting surface; said supporting portions being of such length and extending from said mid-portion in such respective directions that said spindle portions are sepa- '2 4 J rated from each other by a liiistancedat least leqlllal t3 References Cited in the file of this patent the diameter of a full roll of t e woun materia a apte to be received thereon and such that the plane of said UNITED STATES PATENTS spindle portions is separated from said mid-portion by Number Name Date a distance approximately equal to the radius of such a 5 307,691 Von Wallmenich Nov. 4, 1884 roll, whereby a pair of such full rolls may be simulta- 1,292,640 Phelps Ian. 28, 1919 neously supported on said spindle portions with their 1,981,673 Smith Nov. 20, 1934 peripheries adjacent said flat supporting surface. 2,555,531 Boord June 5, 1951 

